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Bergambacht (The Netherlands)

Zuid-Holland province

Last modified: 2006-12-09 by jarig bakker
Keywords: bergambacht |
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Bergambacht municipality Shipmate Flagchart : http://www.flagchart.net
adopted 20 Dec 1986, design: Mrs. Anneke de Nies-van Dijk. Other Bergambacht pages: See also:

Bergambacht municipality

Number of inhabitants: 9.273; area: 38,05 km². Settlements: Ammerstol, Bergambacht (seat), Berkenwoude. The present municipality was formed on 1 Jan 1985 by the merger of the former municipalities of Ammerstol, Bergambacht and Berkenwoude.
Jarig Bakker, 22 May 2003

A new flag was adopted 20 Dec 1986, designed by Mrs. Anneke de Nies-van Dijk.
Description: per flydiagonal green over blue; over all the municipal arms in the center.

The arms represent the municipality of Bergambacht, in the center of the green Krimpenerwaard, which is cut in half by water (ditches and the Lek river). The eagle is from the former Bergambacht flag and arms; the salmon of Ammerstol, and the crescents from Berkenwoude.
The flag is the result of a design competition - and the result was announced by stating that the High Council of Nobility probably wouldn't agree to putting the full arms on the flag, but that there was a stand, where people could sign for approval of the (unaffordable) flag.

That's why the Bergambachters are called "Katten" (cats), with nails ready to attack their neighbouring enemies, especially the squeakmice of Ammerstol, but if need be they are ready to break up the roads in order to throw stones at the High Council of Nobility and others, whom they didn't like, wherefore they are also nicknamed "stoneburrowers".
Source: Vexilla Nostra 15 (109) - 68; 22 (151) - 73.
Groot Schimpnamenboek van Nederland, by Dirk van der Heide, 1998.
Jarig Bakker, 29 Apr 2005


Bergambacht former municipality

[Bergambacht old flag] by Jarig Bakker, 29 Apr 2005
adopted 13 May 1964 after advice by the High Council of Nobility

Bergambacht is a municipality in Zuid-Holland province, a few km east of Rotterdam. In 1985 it absorbed the ex-municipalities Ammerstol and Berkenwoude (in good Dutch newspeak: a merger). Its old flag was then abolished, which was:
square, divided in two equally long stripes; the first red with a hoist-diagonal white stripe of 1/8 flagheight; the second stripe red
equally, charged with a white eagle.
This flag was adopted 13 May 1964 after advice by the High Council of Nobility, and is identical to the municipal arms, which was: Per pale 1. gules a bend dexter argent; 2. gules an eagle argent;
Granted 14 Dec 1817

The left part of the flag is of course Linschoten (or, as Sierksma suggest: the white river Lek flowing through the socialist Bergambacht; the right part the arms of Arend van Arkel, who had a castle here c. 1300, 's-Heer Aertsberg.
Source: Vexilla Nostra 15 (109) - 68; 22 (151) - 73.
Jarig Bakker, 29 Apr 2005


Bergambacht CoA

[Bergambacht CoA] by Jarig Bakker, 29 Apr 2005
Granted by Royal Resolution 21 Nov 1985.

The new arms: gules an eagle argent, charged with three crescents noir; in a wavy base azure a white salmon. The shield surmounted by a crown or of three leaves and two pearls.